Early in the current decade, violence within the community of Northeast Central Durham, N.C., escalated to the point where school safety officers at Holton Junior High School feared for their own safety. The school eventually closed and the property sat vacant for five years, during which time vandals and drive-by shooters destroyed most of the windows, and the 60,000-sf building became a haven for drug users and the homeless. The less said about the rodent and bird infestations, the better.
After neighbors demanded that Durham Public Schools take proper responsibility for its property, the district partnered with the city, the county, and Duke Healthcare to rework the former school into a multiuse community center. Rehabbed for a scant $16.68 million by the Building Team of Davis Kane Architects, Skanska (CM at risk), Heery International (program manager), En-Tech (MEP engineer), and Stroud, Pence and Associates (structural engineer), the facility reopened in July. Holton offers the community sorely needed services, including career and technical education classes, a recreation and wellness center, an auditorium, childcare and after-school programs, and a health clinic operated by Duke Healthcare.
Also helping to revitalize the community was Skanska’s decision to hire and train small-firm subcontractors, several of whom live in the neighborhood. The Building Team also achieved 46.5% minority participation on the project.
“We have a lot of empty buildings like this in our communities, said Reconstruction Awards judge Darlene Ebel, Director of Facility Information Management at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “They had a small budget and they did a lot of good with the money.” BD+C
PROJECT SUMMARY
Building Team
Submitting firm: Heery International (program manager)
Owner/developer: Durham Public Schools
Architect: Davis Kane Architects
CM at risk: Skanska USA Building Inc.
MEP engineer: En-tech Engineering
Structural engineer: Stroud, Pence and Associates Ltd.
General Information
Size: 60,000 gsf
Construction cost: $16.68 million
Construction time: August 2009 to July 2010
Delivery method: CM at risk
Related Stories
| Aug 29, 2014
China Syndrome: How long will U.S. firms keep milking the Middle Kingdom?
U.S. architecture and engineering firms like Goettsch Partners have been enjoying full employment in China. But will there come a point when Chinese officials—and Chinese designers—say, We can handle this? BD+C's Robert Cassidy digs into this issue.
| Aug 28, 2014
Arthur Platt and Julie Engh to lead AIANY architectural boat tour at BD+C Under40 Leadership Summit
The tour, which will circumnavigate Manhattan, will provide U40 Summit attendees with information about the history and architectural details of numerous buildings visible from the 1920s-era yacht.
| Aug 28, 2014
USGBC, American Chemistry Council join forces to advance LEED
The groups will apply technical and science-based approaches to the LEED green building program.
| Aug 27, 2014
Turkish government orders demolition of residential towers in Istanbul
Citing negative effects to a world heritage site, the Turkish central government has ruled that the recently completed OnaltiDokuz Residence towers must be demolished.
| Aug 27, 2014
Ranked: Top sports facility sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Populous, AECOM, and Turner head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest sports facility design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 27, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin school of architecture faces accreditation loss
The Frank Lloyd School of Architecture may be stripped of its ability to confer Master of Architects students based on a revised by-law of the Higher Learning Commission.
| Aug 27, 2014
Survey of NCAA athletic directors reveals strong demand for new facilities, fan amenities
More than 80% of college athletic directors plan to make significant investments in facilities over the next five years to target potential recruits and spectators, according to a new survey by AECOM and Ohio University.
| Aug 27, 2014
Study looks at lessons from involving children in K-12 school design
A study examining what architects can learn from children, especially during the design process, is being carried out through the University of Sheffield's school of architecture.
| Aug 27, 2014
Designs for community-based workspace in Carlsbad unveiled
Cruzan announced make, a 175,000-square-foot office redevelopment project on the coast of Carlsbad, Calif. Cruzan will usher this next generation of community-based, integrated workspace into existence in fall 2014.
| Aug 26, 2014
6 lessons from a true IPD project: George Washington University Hospital
In its latest blog post, Skanska shares tips and takeaways from the firm's second true integrated project delivery project.
